Baby Registry Checklist 2019

So, you’re looking for some help with your baby registry. Check out my baby registry checklist to find out which baby gear I would register for, now that I have used it with both twins and a singleton. It’s a list of all the gear I think is worth getting and will make your life easier during your baby’s first year. I have personally used all the baby gear on this list. Once you’ve read through the list, don’t forget to grab your free printable 2019 baby registry checklist.

Please note, there are affiliate links in this post. Read my disclosure policy to learn more.

If you’re wondering where to register, check out this post to find out why I recommend a combo Amazon and Target baby registry. If you’re having twins, hop on over to our twin baby registry checklist post. One last thing before we get to the baby registry checklist, these recommendations are based on, what I believe, are great quality baby gear at great prices. I hope the list helps make building your baby registry a little bit easier.

(1) Car Seat Base per each additional car – when you buy an infant car seat it comes with a base. But, if there are other cars that will be driving your baby around regularly, you will want to get just the base for those cars too. The car seat base must be from the same company as the car seat. If you go with Graco, make sure the connection type matches (Snuglock vs. Click Connect).

(1) Stroller Travel System – Go for the stroller frame. It is much lighter than the convertible strollers. Once your baby can sit up it will be easier to get a lightweight umbrella stroller, rather than using the bulkier, heavier convertible stroller.

(1) Convertible Car Seat per car – when picking a convertible seat, consider if you are planning to have more children. It could be important to pick slim convertible seats, that will allow you to fit up to three car seats across in your car.

(1) Night-light – You will want a night-light for middle of the night visits to the nursery. Then, you can continue to use it during the toddler years. This one is a great price and still works over 4 years later.

(1) Hamper – get one in neutral colors so it can be used elsewhere in the future.

(1) Video Baby Monitor – It’s hard to find a monitor that is perfect. I would recommend both monitors we used, but keep in mind the negatives discussed below. We recently purchased this Samsung monitor. We picked it because it has the capability to be used through an app on the phone, but it also has a monitor. So far the biggest negative is the monitor battery life is extremely short, but otherwise no complaints. Previously, we had the Levana Jena baby monitor for 3 years. Overall, it worked well for the price. One negative was it beeped when it lost signal, which is okay, but it happened A LOT, specifically when connected to two cameras. Another negative was over time the night vision on one of the cameras stopped working.

(1) Set of Blackout Shades – I read getting blackout shades will help your baby sleep later in the morning and nap for longer during the day. We purchased our shades for both nurseries from JCPenney and they have been great.

(1) Glider Chair (optional) – the glider is nice and comfortable. It was convenient to have a spot in the nursery to feed or hold the baby at night. As your baby becomes a toddler you can use it to for reading books. We have a Shermag glider and it has held up very well.

Diaper Changes

Start
with the quantities listed below and buy more diapers in the correct size, as
needed. Keep in mind, there is a good possibility you will also receive diapers
as gifts. I personally like Pampers Swaddlers for newborn, size 1, and size 2.

Note: When babies get bigger around 6 months of age, or when they go to size 3, the Costco Huggies, called Huggies Plus, are made special for Costco and have extra protection. I love the Huggies Plus diapers because there is a noticeable difference in absorbency compared all other diaper brands I have tried.

(1) Changing Table (if have 2 floors): I recommend getting a changing table if you have 2 floors in your house. We purchased this one and it has been great. It’s a good price, still in good condition, and has plenty of storage.

(8-10) Waterproof Changing Pads – these are great for diaper changes on your bed in the middle of the night during the newborn phase and to protect the changing pad cover. When the baby gets bigger use them for diaper changes on the floor. Stick some in your diaper bag too. They come in various sizes, it’s good to get a couple different sizes.

(1) Diaper Bag – I like ours, it’s a good size and my husband wanted a gender neutral bag.

Hand Sanitizer – keep some at each diaper changing area and a travel hand sanitizer for the diaper bag.

(1) Diaper Pail per changing area – We like both the diaper genie and the diaper champ. There are positives and negatives to each brand out there. I recommend reading online reviews and deciding what will work best for you in each changing area.

Sleeping

(8) Swaddling Blankets – take as many receiving blankets as you can from the hospital, they are great quality (and free). The hospital blankets are big, so they are great for swaddling or they can be used as burp cloths. My absolute favorite swaddling blankets are the aden+anais muslin blankets. The muslin blankets are big and have some give, perfect for swaddling. Between the hospital and a 4 pack of aden+anais blankets it should be enough to start. You can always buy more later.

(1) Playard – it is really dependent on your needs whether to get the playard with the bassinet / changing area combo. We opted for a separate changing table on the first level of the house. Even with a singleton, a separate changing table is my preference for the following reasons. After 3-6 months, the baby will outgrow the top bassinet of the playard. Where will you change the baby after that? You also need to consider finding space to set up the playard. Lastly, buying the basic playard will save you money. With that said, I love the playards for traveling and you can use it as a portable crib for up to 3 years old. I also loved using it as playpen from 6-10 months old. It provides a safe play area, and is especially useful when you need to leave the room for a few minutes.

(1) Bouncy Chair (optional) – these are great for napping, especially if you want your baby close by while you get some stuff around the house. My kids always slept well in them. It’s not a necessity, but very convenient to have an extra napping spot.

(1) Swing – I personally like the glider swing type because it’s smaller. We had a 3-4 week period when this is all one of the twins slept in at night and our youngest went through the same phase. So it’s definitely worth it to help get some sleep at night.

(2 – 3) Velcro Swaddles – I like the Summer Infant velcro swaddles best. These are especially nice for first time parents, that are not sure how to make a good swaddle.

(1) Baby Merlin Magic Sleepsuit –We love the Baby Merlin and used it for transferring from sleeping in a bassinet to the crib. I recommend getting a second suit if you end up using it because of diaper leaks. We only used the 3-6 month size, because the kids fit in it well past 6 months. So, don’t worry about buying the bigger size, right now.

(2) Wearable Blankets – we started using wearable blankets after the babies were out of the Merlin sleepsuit. They loved them. The Halo brand is great and seem to be the best value. Medium should be the right size when transitioning from the Merlin suit.

Feeding

(10) Burp Cloths – I like flannel burp cloths over terry burp cloths, they seem to be more absorbent. Tip: cloth diapers also work well as burp cloths.

(10) Cloth Bibs – There is a good chance you will receive a lot of bibs for presents. It’s best to wait and see what you get first. I do not have a brand to recommend. Personally, I like the cloth bibs that have a waterproof backing.

(2) Silicone Bibs – These are good when baby starts eating solid food. These bibs grow with your baby and fit well after your baby reaches 9-12 months. My 2 year old still fits into these bibs and I have not had to replace them.

(1) High Chair – This Baby Trend high chair has held up really well. I definitely recommend them. They are easy to clean and the storage spot for the tray is perfect. The only downside is it takes up a lot of space. If you have a small living space, I recommend a booster seat that attaches to a kitchen chair instead. You can also use these when traveling.

(2) Sippy cups – Make sure to start with the trainer cups. Get 2 different brands to see which one your baby likes. We started putting small amounts of water in a sippy cup around 6 months. This made transitioning away from the bottle at 1-year-old much easier. We had the best luck with this Munckin cup and this NUK cup.

(10) Plastic Spoons – we received a large variety of baby spoon brands for gifts. I always find myself reaching for these Munchkin ones, they are by far my favorite.

(8) Plastic Bowls – I have liked both the Gerber and Munchkin bowls we have. The Gerber ones are nice because they come with lids. IKEA also has nice sets of plastic-ware for babies.

(1) Bottle Drying Rack – we love the Boon grass drying rack. It has gotten a lot of use and it has been a conversation piece when we’ve had visitors. I also like the twig and flower accessory that you buy with it or separately.

If you plan to breastfeed:

These recommendations are based on waiting to see how breastfeeding is going before investing too much money into it. These items will get you started and if it’s going well you can buy more gear as you need it.

While I was staying at the hospital and after my baby was born, the lactation department helped me pick out the best available breast pump provided through my insurance. They also measured me for a nursing bra and had bras to purchase. If these options are available to you, I recommend doing the same. You will need a breast pump and nursing bras, but I do not recommend including them on your baby registry.

(1) Breastfeeding Pillow – I used both the My Brest Friend and the Boppy nursing pillows. I have one I keep upstairs and one I keep downstairs. I thought the My Brest Friend was better during the first 4 weeks. After that, I liked the Boppy for feeding in bed and the My Brest Friend when sitting on a couch. Start with one pillow, probably the My Brest Friend, if breastfeeding is going well, purchase a second pillow for convenience. Don’t forget to get a cover if the pillow doesn’t come with one.

(1) Box of Breast Pads – I recommend the Lansinoh brand and starting with a box of 60.

(1) Tube of Lanolin – I prefer the Medela brand over the Lansinoh brand, it flows much easier out of the tube. I only used this during the first few weeks of nursing, but you will need it.

You will need the items below, but I do not recommend registering for them. Instead, buy them after baby is born and breastfeeding is going well.

(1) Breastfeeding Cover – I couldn’t really use this effectively until my baby was around 4-6 weeks old.

Bottles – the number of bottles you need might depend on if you are returning to work. You can start out with the 2 bottles that come with the breast pump and get more as needed. I recommend purchasing this bottle set. The bottle set comes with the nipples you will need for feeding. If you will be working you should also get this cooler set. For work, I had 8 bottles in rotation (4 per day). I use the Medela bottles because all the parts match up with the Medela pump, which makes life much easier.

If you plan to bottle feed:

(3 – 4) 4 – 5 oz Bottles – I have used both Dr Brown’s and Philips Avent bottles. For ease with cleaning, I recommend Avent because it has less parts and did not leak from the nipple as much. However, it’s not always that easy, sometimes you might have to test different brands to see if the baby has a preference. If you only want to clean bottles once a day, you can get more bottles after you know which brand the baby does well with.

You will need the items below, but I do not recommend registering for them. Instead, buy them after baby is born and you know which brand of bottles your baby likes.

8-9 oz bottles

Nipples – Purchase the faster flowing nipples as needed. You will notice your baby wanting to drink faster, but not being able to. This is the cue for going up to the next level for nipple flow.

A tip for formula feeding. Register on the Similac and Enfamil websites for their rewards programs. You will get free formula samples before your baby is born. Then, you will continue to receive coupons throughout the year if you end up using one of these brands for formula.

Clean Up

(3) Baby Washcloths (optional) – you can buy special baby sized washcloths if you want. You can also just use wash cloths you already own.

(1) Set of Baby Soap / Shampoo / Lotion – I have used Johnson & Johnson, Babyganics, and Aveeno. I like Aveeno the best, it cleans well and is very gentle on the skin. It takes a long time to get through a bottle, so it’s worth the extra cost.

(1) Bottle of Baby Friendly Laundry Detergent – I have always used Dreft because I love the smell and it cleans well. You can also get any brand of free and gentle detergent, which can be useful if you don’t want to keep track of different detergents for the adults and older kids.

(1) Spray Bottle of Laundry Stain Remover per changing area – This is an absolute must! OxiClean, Shout, Spray N Wash all work well. You do not need to purchase the baby friendly version for stain remover.

Clothes

You do not need to register for much clothing because you will receive a lot of clothes as gifts. You should also hit up friends and family who are looking to get rid of their baby clothes.

Buy additional clothing as you see fit, once you have received gifts and hand me downs.

Everything Else

(1) Boppy Lounger (optional) – I loved having a spot to put my newborn to just hang out. My baby had a blast chilling in the boppy lounger. It’s easily portable to bring to different rooms in the house. Just note that it is not intended to be used for sleeping.

(1) Jumper (optional) – the twins played in this a lot, they loved it! It also lets you get some stuff done while your baby is entertained and safe. I recommend the Fisher Price jumper, it’s very bouncy. We also have a Baby Einstein jumper, but the Fisher Price one was always more popular in our house.

(1) Play Mat (optional) – this is great for tummy time. You will get a lot of use out of a play mat during the first 6 months.

(3-4) Pacifier Clips (optional) – we love to have a pacifier permanently clipped to the car seat, that way you never forget it when you go out.

(1) Nasal Aspirator – You will probably get one for free at the hospital, so you can just use that one. However, I really like the Nosefrida, does it sound gross? YES! But it works so well and there is a filter to prevent any exposure to snot, plus the tube is so long I’ve never had anything come anywhere close to the filter.

(1) Bumbo Seat (optional) – This is not a necessity, but all my kids really loved having a spot to sit up before they could do it on their own. I never found the tray to be useful, so don’t worry about getting that accessory.

(1) Car Seat Mirror (optional) – just get one for the car you drive in most.

(2) Stroller and Car Seat Toys (optional) – These are good to have, but there is a very good chance you will receive a few of these as baby gifts. You can register for a couple, or just wait and see what you get.

Books (optional) – I do not recommend registering for any books. You will receive many books for gifts.

(1) Baby Carrier (optional) – No specific recommendation from me because I never used mine. Even though I did not find baby carrying useful, I know some moms that couldn’t live without it. If you think you will use it, then register for one. If you’re not sure, try to borrow one from a friend.

More Baby Registry Checklist Tips

I know making your baby registry can seem overwhelming and expensive. Reading through the above list is a lot to take in. As you create your registry, keep the following tips in mind too.

This was touched on above. But, a reminder that if you have two floors, have a changing area upstairs and a changing area downstairs. Also, have a hamper for upstairs and one for downstairs.

When it makes sense, buy gender neutral items. If you have more children, you will be able to reuse this gear.

Borrow baby gear from
your family and friends.

If you have Once Upon a Child near you, they sell used baby items. It might be a good place to find something on the expensive side that you will not use for that long (like a swing).

Another place to look for used baby gear are Facebook swap sites. I bought my bumbo chair for $5 and our swing for $35. I even bought maternity clothes on a Facebook swap site.